Amplifying farmworkers' voices for healthcare equity

Postscript

Amplifying farmworkers' voices for healthcare equity

The University of Washington is working with laborers in Whatcom and Skagit counties, Washington, to change the status quo.

UW Video

Farmworkers pick blueberries in Washington state.

The UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) is collaborating with farmworkers and other UW researchers to evaluate the health and living conditions of farmworkers in Whatcom and Skagit counties through surveys and in-depth home assessments.

“What makes this study unique is that the community is really leading the way,” said Vanessa Galaviz, DEOHS lecturer and lead investigator. The project is a collaboration between the UW School of Public Health, School of Medicine and School of Social Work, with funding support from the UW Population Health Initiative.

“We are using a community-driven approach to really get at solutions . . . for people who don’t typically have a voice,” Galaviz said. “You really need those who are most impacted to be at the decision-making table if you want to have culturally appropriate solutions that are sustainable and effective.”